Thursday, January 2, 2014

Happy Blogoversary to Me: the winner, the most, the quick takes

Hooray! I've been blogging for one year. To celebrate, I'm going to attempt two linkups, a recap, and a giveaway all in the same post!

1.

Post With the Most Clicks

I love the idea of a "Most" of 2013 linkup. What a fun idea, right? And easy. The posts are already written, just fish 'em out and link 'em up. But I have been trying to write this post for weeks. Every time I sit down to do it I figure I'll start with the easiest one: Post With the Most Clicks. I look at my blogger stats, and I think, "Really? That doesn't seem right." Then I pull up my google analytic stats and spend the next half hour wading through those, in which the blogger stats most popular post isn't even in the top ten, but I didn't install google analytics right when I started the blog. So what does it all mean?! A post is either my most popular or it isn't. But I JUST DON'T KNOW. Clearly, I am overthinking this, but I don't want to tell you guys something is my most popular post when really it's just spammy bot traffic. And then people around here want to eat again, so I don't get it written.

This was my first post that got passed around (not surprisingly) on Facebook. There were a lot of comments on both sides of the issue, but almost everyone was remarkably civil. I'm glad I wrote it.

2.

Post With the Most Comments

Hey, watch me overthink this one too. . . . My handmade Jesse Tree ornament set giveaway had the most comments, but that's kind of cheating right? This one should be about getting a conversation going. My second most comments came on the Open Letter to My Facebook Friends Who Have This as Their Profile Picture, but since I already used that one, let's move on to third place:

This wasn't my first controversial post, but it was the one in which the controversy and the vehemence of some of the comments surprised me the most. Overall, the post had my intended effect, which was to share what has worked for me. And to introduce crying it out as one option that it is acceptable to consider for sleep-deprived moms and babies. Most of the comments were great. Some were not. I deleted the most uncharitable comments of the lot (except for the one where I liked my response).

I'm going to have to go with both of my NFP posts on this one. Both were easy enough to write the first time through. But the husband is my Editor/ Chief Officer in Charge of Me Not Offending Everyone. So once I write something he helps me revise it. I was a pretty huge pain in the keister about the editing process on both of those posts. Eventually, I was prevailed upon. And he was totally right. You guys wouldn't have liked the snarky versions. They were snar-kee.

5.

Post That Was My Personal Favorite

I really liked all the posts I featured here for Blog in a Blink. But today I'm picking a different one entirely. I really liked this one, but not that many people saw it.

I think a big part of what has made blogging feel so easy for me is that I have very decisive opinions. I see a movie, or read about a current event and I immediately start unraveling it until I find a narrative. Then I write it down. I get the information, come to my conclusions, share them with the world. Done.

So this summer, after reading about a few different incidents in which breastfeeding mothers were harassed or ejected or otherwise inconvenienced for not covering up, I immediately created my narrative and wrote my post.

But it turned out that on this one, I really didn't understand all the sides of the issue. However, unlike on some of my other controversial posts, people really took the time to pleasantly correct some of my assumptions. The comments on that post taught me about breastfeeding, but also about being charitable and understanding, and not quite so sweeping in my assumptions.

so, look for an email from me (update: Kate, your comment address isn't hooked up to email, so please send ME an email by midnight Jan 3 or I'll select another winner), and look forward to receiving your prize in a few weeks!

If you didn't win, you can still get a copy of my book the old-fashioned way, by clicking here
(but you'll still have to wait a few weeks)!

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